Merry-go-round



June 20, 1933. E. H. NI'IEDHAM 1,914,451

MERRY-GO- ROUND Filed Oct. 18, 1930 M0 vim l fl /llllll grwemtot fi'az'i 1? Med 22am Patented June 2t}, 1933 QEFFECE MERRY-G-O- ROUN D This invention relates to an amusement device for children, and while features of the inventionare applicable inother situations, in the present specification they are described as applied to a merry-go-round, and the general obj ect' of the invention is to provide an amusement device of this type which can be propelled by one or more children so that-child rides around in a circular path.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which is simple and which will provide a safe and positive support for the central member that rotates and on which the frame that carries the childrens seats is supported. In accordance with my invention, I provide a reciprocating lever corresponding to each seat which can be rocked by the child, thereby providing the energy that causes the rotation of the merry-goround.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple construction whereby this evercan,-at. the will of the child, be held ,7 stationary, although the rotation of, the

merry-go-round may continue.

-A further object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for supporting the rotary frame on its axis of rotation. This improvement involves the use of a large gear cooperating with driving pinions for rotating the frame, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide simple means for maintaining the driving pinions and gear in a proper meshing relation at all times.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of whichcontribute to produce an efiicient merry-go-round...

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation upon a reduced scale, illustrating a nierry-go-round embody-- ing my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation and partial section, showing the central part of the de- Application filed October 18, 1930. Serial No. 489,623.

1, certain parts being in Fig. 3, but upon an enlarged scale, and

particularly illustrating the way in which the driving connection may assume a position in which the rotary frame can rotate without imparting movement to the actuatmg lever.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating another embodiment of this connection.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing a simple and positive driving connection which may be employed if desired instead of a connection having the characteristics illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a base which may set upon the ground or floor, and this base is preferably constructed of a column 2 built up of angle irons and having integral extensions or feet 3. A plurality of angle irons extend upwardly to form the column 2 and include a plurality of radially disposed flanges 4 that project upwardly at the upper end of the post to form a cross-shaped seat composed of four upwardly extending tongues 5. If desired, these tongues may be tapered, as shown. On this column a center post 6 is seated, which post is formed with sockets 7 and at its underside receiving the said tongues 5. If desired, securing pins 8 may be employed to fasten the center post on the column.

The center post 7 is preferably formed as an integral extension from the underside of a center plate 9, the function of which is to support rigidly a fixed gear-wheel 10. This gear-wheel is in the form of a bevel gear to mesh with driving pinions 11, each mounted on its corresponding radial shaft 12. The inner ends of these shafts 12 have bearings respectively in a cover plate 13 which is formed at its center into a hub 14 mounted 10, and for this-purpose on suitable roller bearings on a central spindle 16.

I provide means for insuring proper meshing of the pinions 11 with the gear-wheel I prefer to provide the underside of the cover plate with an inclined annular seat 17 that rests upon a plurality of slightly conical rollers 18. These rollers 18 may be mounted respectively on pins set in forks 19 projecting upwardly from the center plate 9.

Any suitable type of rotary frame or rotor may be provided. For this purpose, I prefer to employ inverted channel bars 20 (see Figure 3) which are held between ribs, such as the rib 21, on the upper side of the cover plate 13 and held in position by bolts 22 passing downwardly into the cover plate.

At each end of the frame or rotor 23 that is formed by the channel bars 20, I provide a childs seat 24. This seat, preferably, faces in a direction about at right angles to the radial line from the center post. In other words, at right angles to the axis of its corresponding shaft 12. Each seat is mounted on the ends of the bars 20 in any suitable manner, (such as illustrated in Figure That is to say, the board 25 upon which the child sits is preferably simply elevated on frame members 26 and these frame members are formed with extensions 27 that project forwardly with respect to the direction of rotation and carry a foot rest 28. Below the seat a bracket 29 is provided that forms a bearing for the end of the shaft.

On the extension 27 I mount an actuating lever 30 which has a handle bar 31 a considcrable distance above the seat board 25 and in a position to be continually reached by a child in the seat 24. This actuating lever is mounted to rock on a pivot but has a cross bar 32 and has a short arm 33 that is connected with the shaft 12 by suitable actuating mechanism. In this way, I provide actuating mechanism including a lever actuated by the child for rotating the shaft 12. The connection between the lever 33 and the shaft may be a one-way drive connection so that in the operation of the device, if the child wishes to stop reciprocating the handle bar 31, he can do so and the rotary frame 23 will continue to revolve by its own momentum without moving the lever 30 or cross bar 31. NVhile any suitable one-way drive connection may be employed at this point, I prefer to employ mechanism having the characteristics illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. That is to say, on the shaft 12 I secure a rigid member 34 which, for convenience, may be in the form of a thick disc, one face of which is cut away to form a notch 35, (see Figure 4). On a pin 36 which is eccentric to the axis of the shaft and to the center of the disc I attach a crank 37, and the other end of this crank is connected by a pin 38 to a lever 39, the other end of which is attached to the short lever 33. The side edges and 41 of this notch operate as stop means to enable the crank 37 to hold itself in the position indicated in Figure 4.

These two edges 40 and 41 make a slight or obtuse angle with each other so that the pin 36 is out of line with a radial line joining the pin 38 with the axis of the shaft 12. YVith this arrangement, it will be evident that if the ring 39 is pulled in the direction of the arrow, the crank will seat itself against the said edge 40 and will pull the member 34 around, thereby imparting rotary movement to the shaft 12. However, if at any time the child holds the lever 30 fixed, then the crank 37 will receive a relative rotation in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, and at the end of this rotation, the crank will seat itself against the stop edge 41, at which time the pin 38 will have moved into coaxial alignment with the shaft 12. After this occurs, the rotation of the shaft 12 and the member 34 will impart no movement to the link 39. However, when the child wishes to continue driving of the shaft 12, it is merely necessary for him to commence reciprocating the handle bar 31 at a sufficient speed to have the crank 39 rotate, on its center pin 40. When this occurs, the crank 37 will seat (as indicated in Figure 4 in full lines), and the drive will continue uninterrupted.

If desired, instead of employing the thick 36, and overtake the rotating edge disc 34 with the notch 35, I may provide stop means in the form of two pins 42 and 43 (see Figure 5), the former of which is located.

disc 44 and corresponds to the stop edge 40, the latter of which is located nearest to the axis of the disc so that it corresponds to the stop edge 41. These pins should be so located that in the driving position, illustrated in Figure 5 in full lines, the pin 45 that attaches the relatively fixed end of the crank. will be out of line with the line connecting the pin 46 with the axis of the disc 44, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

If desired, instead of having the one-way drive connections described above, for transmitting movement from the means, such as the lever 30, I may provide a positive drive, such as illustrated in Figure 6. I This consists of a crank disc 47 rigidly secured to a shaft 48 corresponding to the shaft 12 and to this disc a driving link 49 is attached that would correspond to the link 39.

Any number of rollers 17 can be employed. For example, three or four, or even more. These rollers cooperate with the central spindle 16 and the roller bearings 15 to guide the rotary frame or rotor 23, positively in a horizontal plane so that the device will not be 'overbalanced and will still operate if only one child is seated in one of the seats.

near the rim of the actuating Cal It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, J i a to the particular embodiment set forth.

W hat I claim is:

1. In a merry-.go-round, the combination of a central post, a rotary frame mounted on the post, seats mounted on the frame and facing substantially at right angles to a radial line extending to the seat from the post, a shaft corresponding to each seat and extending radially from the post to a point near the seat, actuating mechanism associated with each seat including an actuating lever located in front of the seat, a member rigidly attached to the shaft, a crank pivotally attached on said member on an axis eccentric to the said shaft, a link connecting the actuating lever with the end of said crank, and stop means on said member cooperating with said crank to enable the link and crank to rotate the shaft in one direction only and operating to hold the crank in an inoperative position when the said member rotates faster than the crank.

2. In a merry-go-round, the combination of a central post, a rotary frame mounted on the post, seats mounted on the frame and facing substantially at right angles to a radial line extending to the seat from the post, a shaft corresponding to each seat and extending radially from the post to a point near the seat, actuating mechanism associated with each seat including an actuating lever located in front of the seat, a member rigidly attached to the shaft, a crank pivotally attached on said member on an axis eccentric to the said shaft, a link connecting the actuating lever with the end of said crank, and stop means on said member cooperating with said crank to enable the link and crank to rotate the shaft in one direction only, and operating to hold the crank into an inoperative position when the said member rotates faster than the crank, said stop means including means for holding the crank in an inoperative position with the point of connection between the link and the crank located substantially on the axis of the shaft, thereby enabling the shaft and said member to rotate without reciprocating the actuating lever.

3. In a merry-go-round, the combination of a post having a rigid bevel gear-wheel disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, a cover plate rotatably supported on the post, rollers for supporting the cover plate to rotate in a fixed plane with respect to said gearwh-eel, pinions meshing With the said gearwheei, said rollers operating to support the pinions at their proper meshing distance from said bevel gear-wheel, a shaft carrying each pinion, rotatably mounted in the said cover plate and extending substantially radially from the post, a rotary frame mounted on the cover plate, a seat mounted on the rotary frame corresponding to each shaft, actuating mechanism associated with each seat and including an actuating lever, and a driving connection between the actuating lever and its corresponding shaft.

a. In a merry-go-round, the combination of base to rest upon the ground or floor, said base having a column with tongues disposed substantially radially from the axis of the column, a detachable center post havng socket-s receiving said tongues by a vericai movement of the post down onto the ongues, a cover plate rotatably mounted on said post, a rotary frame carried by the post, and driving mechanism for rotating the cover plate on the post.

5. In a merry-go-round., the combination of a base to rest upon the ground or floor, said base having a column with tongues disposed substantially radially from the axis at the upper end of the column, and a detachable center post having sockets for re ceiving said tongues and seating on the tongues by a vertical movement down onto the same.

6. .n a merry-go-rouml, the combination of a base to rest upon the ground or floor, said base having a column with tongues disposed substantially radially from the axis at the upper end of the column, and a detachable center post having sockets for receiving said tongues by a. vertical movement down onto the same, and fastening means associated with the post and the column for securing the post on the column.

7. In a driving connection, the combination of an actuating lever, a link connected with the lever. a shaft mounted for rotation, member rigid with the said shaft, a crank pivotally attached to said member at a point eccentric to the axis of the shaft and connected at its otl'ier end to the said link, said member having stop means for holding said crank with the link remote from the axis of the shaft to enable motion. to be imparted from the actuating lever to the said member.

8. In a driving connection, the combination of an actuating lever, a link connected with the lever, a shaft mounted for rotation, a member rigid with the said shaft, a crank pivotally attached to said member at a point eccentric to the axis of the shaft and connected at its other end to the said link, said member having stop means for holding said crank with the link remote from the axis of the shaft to enable motion to be imparted from the actuating lever to said member, said stop means including means for holding the crank in a position in which the link extends substantially to the axis of the shaft to en able the said member and shaft torotate Without reciprocating the actuating lever.

9. In a merry-go-round, the combination of a center post with a central spindle eX- tending up therefrom, a cover plate With bearings on the central spindle, guide rollers supported On the center post and supporting the cover plate for rotation in a horizontal plane, a rotary frame supported on the cover plate and carrying seats facing substantially at right angles to the radial line passing from the center post to the seat, an actuating member mounted within reach of a child on the seat, and mechanism actuated thereby for causing the rotary frame to rotate about its central spindle.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 10th day of October, 1930.

EARL H. NEEDHAM. 

